A couple already owned and operated an Italian restaurant in New York City when they spotted a vacant business in Connecticut.
Their work was cut out for them, but they made a decision: they would open an “elegant casual” restaurant here too.
Now, for those walking into the warm, rustic yet elegant interior of Geppetto on East Main Street, it signals the start of something wonderful, the owners say: good food, good wine and space for friends or family to share them with.
That’s what the Pulixi family intends for their customers, many of whom have become good friends since the osteria opened three years ago in Torrington. The restaurant, Geppetto Osteria e Bisteccheria, is owned by chef Carlo Pulixi, his wife Michelle, son and chef Federico, and daughter Elizabetta.
Restaurant Geppetto Osteria e Bisteccheria in Torrington is owned by chef Carlo Pulixi, his wife Michelle, son and chef Federico, and daughter Elizabetta. (Emily M. Olson)
The restaurant’s dining room offers tables for as many as 12, with cozy corners for tables for two or four, and a spacious bar where guests can enjoy a variety of cocktails, wines or grappas.
The dining room, with hardwood floors, a long copper bar, and décor that includes collections of antiques, copper bowls, ceramics and pottery and sturdy wooden tables with room for big plates and wine glasses.
On a recent afternoon, the family was getting ready for another busy night.
“We’ve got about 40 people expected tonight, and we’ll get walk-ins,” Michelle Pulixi said.
Federico, dressed in chef’s clothes, was in and out of the kitchen, as was his sister, who bustled to and fro with other waitresses to wait on the early diners: a group of 11 coworkers celebrating the holidays together.
Several of the couples said they had been to Geppetto more than a few times. “We like the food and the atmosphere,” said Tony Ponte, a Torrington resident.
“It’s authentic. It’s nice to see Italians operating an Italian restaurant,” he said. “They all speak Italian, and the food is very good.”
Restaurant Geppetto Osteria e Bisteccheria in Torrington is owned by chef Carlo Pulixi, his wife Michelle, son and chef Federico, and daughter Elizabetta. (Emily M. Olson)
Joe and Jeanne Maiarese said Geppetto has originality and a great atmosphere. “It’s a nice place, and we love the menu,” said Jeanne.
The menu that night featured dishes with beef, pork, seafood or vegetables. There were special pastas, good steaks and innovative starters. It’s a curated collection of dishes with specials, as Federico Pulixi and his father, a longtime chef himself, create new recipes for their customers. The menu changes three times a year, along with the seasons.
Restaurant Geppetto Osteria e Bisteccheria in Torrington is owned by chef Carlo Pulixi, his wife Michelle, son and chef Federico, and daughter Elizabetta. (Emily M. Olson)
“The passion Federico has for cooking is really amazing,” said Carlo Pulixi. “His imagination, his willingness … He’s really learned so much.”
Geppetto’s winter menu has a calamari appetizer, stewed with swiss chard and tomato; a braised artichoke, polenta; roasted chicken livers with pancetta. For dinner, Federico and his staff were offering herb crusted rack of lamb, a pork chop with butter, sage and mortadella, or pan-seared halibut. Pasta dishes featured linguine with seafood, tagliatelle, gnocchi, or agnolotti filled with braised short ribs.
Geppetto is also known for its ribeyes, New York strip steaks and other cuts of aged beef. “The meat is fantastic,” Federico said. “People love it.”
Bread, baked by Michelle and Elizabetta, has become a staple in the restaurant’s offerings. The sourdough loaves, with pretty patterns scored into the crust, are selling on their own by advance order.
And “you have to have bread with dinner,” Michelle Pulixi said. “I wanted to make bread, and now people are buying it. And we have it on the table.”
Restaurant Geppetto Osteria e Bisteccheria in Torrington is owned by chef Carlo Pulixi, his wife Michelle, son and chef Federico, and daughter Elizabetta. (Emily M. Olson)
Restaurant Geppetto Osteria e Bisteccheria in Torrington is owned by chef Carlo Pulixi, his wife Michelle, son and chef Federico, and daughter Elizabetta. (Emily M. Olson)
Restaurant Geppetto Osteria e Bisteccheria in Torrington is owned by chef Carlo Pulixi, his wife Michelle, son and chef Federico, and daughter Elizabetta. (Emily M. Olson)
Restaurant Geppetto Osteria e Bisteccheria in Torrington is owned by chef Carlo Pulixi, his wife Michelle, son and chef Federico, and daughter Elizabetta. (Emily M. Olson)
Restaurant Geppetto Osteria e Bisteccheria in Torrington is owned by chef Carlo Pulixi, his wife Michelle, son and chef Federico, and daughter Elizabetta. (Emily M. Olson)
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Restaurant Geppetto Osteria e Bisteccheria in Torrington is owned by chef Carlo Pulixi, his wife Michelle, son and chef Federico, and daughter Elizabetta. (Emily M. Olson)
Their curated wine list is Carlo’s special forte, Michelle said. “He’s just good at it because he loves wine,” she said. “He’s a good curator.”
“I do love wine,” Carlo Pulixi said. “Without it, I couldn’t do it … I help people choose what to have with what they’re having for dinner. And dinner has always had wine.”
His collection of grappas, a drink made from leftover wine grapes, is gaining ground with customers too, he said.
“People are curious to try it,” he said. “You sip it like brandy. We have about 15 different kinds.”
Geppetto’s beginnings
Carlo Pulixi and his wife own Convivium, an Italian osteria in New York City, which they’ve operated since 2000 in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Michelle Pulixi noticed the vacant restaurant space during a visit to Torrington, and the Pulixis moved quickly to occupy it. Their landlord, Vinny Cappelletti, has renovated and restored a number of buildings in Torrington.
Carlo Pulixi and his son, Federico, set about renovating the restaurant and ordering equipment in 2021. The project began in the former home of Dick’s Restaurant, a popular dinner spot, and more recently the bar O’Connor’s, which closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Restaurant Geppetto Osteria e Bisteccheria in Torrington is owned by chef Carlo Pulixi, his wife Michelle, son and chef Federico, and daughter Elizabetta. (Emily M. Olson)
Issues during the pandemic and an accidental fire in the building in early 2022 slowed the Pulixi’s restaurant project’s progress.
But when Geppetto Osteria e Bisteccheria opened in September 2022, the result was an “elegant, casual” dining establishment, meant to provide a place where eating and drinking is intended to be an experience, hopefully a fun and relaxing one, Federico Pulixi said.
“I mean, come for dinner with friends, and make a night of it,” he said, “Or come in when you just want a bite to eat. That’s what an osteria is; come when you want.”
Their customers, in the early days of Geppetto, asked for pizza, and didn’t quite understand what the menu offered. Today, there are regular customers, many from out of town, who make a point of having dinner weekly at Geppetto.
“We have a lot of customers, but not so many from Torrington,” Carlo Pulixi said. “They come from everywhere else; around Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York. We want more people locally to try us too.”
Wine dinners
To bring their dining style to more people, Geppetto has held wine dinners, a five-course meal with different wines provided for each course, as well as an expert to explain where they’re made in Italy.
“It’s an honor,” said Federico Pulixi. “People just buy the ticket, without even seeing the menu. They love the five course pairings. We’ve done four or five of them and every time we do it, we sell out.”
They’ve also held a New Year’s eve party, from 10 p.m. to midnight, with “small plate” hors d’oeuvres, wine, and a champagne toast at midnight.
Restaurant Geppetto Osteria e Bisteccheria in Torrington is owned by chef Carlo Pulixi, his wife Michelle, son and chef Federico, and daughter Elizabetta. (Emily M. Olson)
This Dec. 31 marks their third such party at Geppetto. “Those are getting more popular too,” Michelle Pulixi said.
Opening an osteria in Torrington, they said, wasn’t a big leap. “We’re established in Brooklyn, and we work very hard to keep it that way,” Carlo Pulixi said. “And here in Torrington, Geppetto can really shine.”
The couple’s plan to get Federico’s career as a chef under way has also paid off. Their son is heading to Bologna, Italy, in January, to learn more about Italian cooking. At Geppetto, he and Johnny Rivera, a cook who previously worked at Convivium, run the kitchen.
“He’s known since he was a little boy that this is what he wanted to do,” said Carlo Pulixi. “He’s really doing well.”
“Food is amazing, what it can do,” Federico Pulixi said. “Just to be able to share and introduce people to Italian food that we make here is amazing. I watch videos and try to learn as much as I can about the best restaurants in Italy, and what they’re doing.”
His father smiled as Federico spoke. “I never expected the talent and the passion he has,” he said. “He’s going to be an amazing chef.”
Geppetto is located at 24 East Main St., Torrington. Visit geppettoct.com, on Facebook, or call 860-618-0721.
Editor’s note: The name Geppetto has been corrected.